A Short History of Gumbo – Southern Foodways Alliance A Short History of Gumbo A Short History of Gumbo A SHORT HISTORY OF GUMBO by Stanley Dry Of all the dishes in the realm of Louisiana cooking, gumbo is the most famous and, very likely, the most popular. Gumbo crosses all class barriers, appearing on the tables of the poor as well as the wealthy. Although ingredients might vary greatly from one cook to the next, and from one part of the state to another, a steaming bowl of fragrant gumbo is one of life’s cherished pleasures, as emblematic of Louisiana as chili is of Texas. Gumbo is often cited as an example of the melting-pot nature of Louisiana cooking, but trying to sort out the origins and evolution of the dish is highly speculative. The name derives from a West African word for okra, suggesting that gumbo was originally made with okra. The use of filé (dried and ground sassafras leaves) was a contribution of the Choctaws and, possibly, other local tribes. Roux has its origin in French cuisine, although the roux used in gumbos is much darker than its Gallic cousins. Dr. Carl A.

Brasseaux, of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, who has written the definitive history of the Cajuns, found that the first documented references to gumbo appeared around the turn of the 19th century. In 1803, gumbo was served at a gubernatorial reception in New Orleans, and in 1804 gumbo was served at aCajun gathering on the Acadian Coast. Today, the gumbos people are most familiar with are seafood gumbo and chicken and sausage gumbo. But that merely scratches the surface of gumbo cookery, both historical and contemporary. Lafcadio Hearn’s La Cuisine Creole, published in 1885, contains recipes for several gumbos made from a variety of ingredients—chicken, ham, bacon, oysters, crab, shrimp, and beef, among them. Some of the recipes are made with okra, others with filé. Although there is no mention of a roux in any of the recipes, some of them call for the addition of flour or browned flour as a thickener.

The Creole Cookery Book, published by the Christian Woman’s Exchange of New Orleans in 1885, calls gumbo making an “occult science” that “should be allowed its proper place in the gastronomical world.” A New Orleans gumbo, the book maintains, “can be made of scraps of cold meat or fowl, a few oysters, crabs or shrimps, and, with a couple of spoonfuls of well cooked rice, is a very satisfying and economical dinner.” The editors include several recipes for gumbo, one of which incorporates filé (spelled “fillet” in the book). Some of the recipes are made with various greens and herbs, but, curiously, there is no mention of okra as a gumbo ingredient, although the book includes three recipes for okra soup. The Picayune’s Creole Cookbook, published in New Orleans in 1901, includes recipes for a variety of gumbos. Among the principal ingredients are chicken, ham, oysters, turkey, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit, beef, veal, crabs, soft-shell crabs, shrimp, greens, and cabbage.

Some of the gumbos are made with okra, others with filé. Traditionally, gumbos have been divided into two large categories—those thickened with okra and those thickened with filé. According to some accounts, before the advent of refrigeration and freezers, okra was the preferred thickening agent for gumbo, while filé was a substitute used only in the off-season when okra wasn’t available. That sounds plausible, but I’ve also come across references to dried okra as an ingredient in 19th-century gumbos. By drying okra, cooks could use it in their gumbos year round. In some respects, putting gumbo into either an okra or a filé category is still valid, but for many cooks, a brown roux is the only thickener, and filé has virtually disappeared from their recipes. Often roux-based gumbos do incorporate filé, and to my taste they are the better for it. Filé is used both for thickening and for flavor. It is usually added to a gumbo just before serving, or at the table.

Many okra gumbos also incorporate a brown roux and some roux-based gumbo contain a small amount of okra, often cooked until it virtually dissolves. If all those variations aren’t confusing enough, there are also raging controversies over what constitutes a proper gumbo roux. Roux, of course, is flour that has been browned in oil or some other fat. Both cooks and eaters have their own opinions on how dark the roux should be and how much should be used in a gumbo. There is no agreement on these matters, as anyone who has tasted gumbos from different cooks can attest. A good place to sample an astonishingly wide range of gumbos is the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff that is held each October in New Iberia. A few years ago, I interviewed contestants about their gumbo philosophies. As for the preferred color of the roux, answers varied from the color of a brown paper bag to the color of dark chocolate. So, too, for the desired thickness of the gumbo. A local banker aimed for a thin gumbo (“gumbo juice,” he called it), while another cook’s ideal thickness was somewhere between rice and gravy and a stew.

Although the New Iberia event requires that contestants cook their own roux on site, the rest of us are not so constrained. For some years, commercially prepared rouxs have been available, and they are a great convenience item. Dry rouxs consisting of only browned flour are also commonplace on grocery shelves and are popular with those who wish to reduce their consumption of fat. When using either, I’ve found that it’s preferable to dissolve them in hot liquid before adding to the gumbo pot. Contemporary gumbos are made with all manner of ingredients in a variety of combinations. Seafood and non-seafood gumbos are two primary types, and they may be made with or without okra. But some gumbos include ingredients from both the land and the sea. Duck, smoked sausage, and oyster gumbo is one delicious example. Some cooks add hard-boiled eggs to chicken and sausage gumbos, and quail eggs find their way into other versions. A very atypical version is the Lenten gumbo z’herbes, which is made with a variety of greens. Seafood gumbos often include crabs, shrimp, and oysters.

Shrimp and okra gumbo is a perennial favorite, as is chicken and okra gumbo. Chicken and sausage gumbo is extremely popular, and in the households of hunters, ducks and other game birds often wind up in the gumbo pot. Turkey and sausage gumbos appear frequently during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. An unusual but delicious combination is a gumbo of steak, smoked sausage, and oysters. Some cooks use ham or tasso in their gumbos, and others use fresh sausage in place of the smoked variety. The possible combinations are virtually endless. One ingredient that does arouse controversy is the tomato. Some cooks use it in their gumbos, others wouldn’t be caught dead putting tomato in theirs. In that respect, the situation is analogous to jambalaya, where the question of the appropriateness of tomato is a burning issue. Tomatoes are most often found in okra gumbos, but I’ve had roux-based seafood gumbo that also contained tomato. I don’t have any hard evidence to back this up, but in my experience gumbos containing tomato are more common on the eastern side of Bayou Lafourche than they are farther west.

Personally, I am for tomato in okra gumbo and against it in non-okra gumbo. One point everyone can agree on is that gumbo is always served with rice. But that was not always the case. C.C. Robin, a Frenchman who published an account of his travels in Louisiana in 1803-1805, reported that gumbo was served with corn meal mush. A contemporary variant on that theme is the experience of Dr. Monty Rizzo, a New Iberia physician and an excellent cook who hunts game in Africa. On a safari in Tanzania, he taught the cooks to make a gumbo with the doves his party had shot that day. The cooks had already proved their soup-making skills with a cream of peanut soup and a Cape buffalo tail soup, but gumbo was unknown to them. There was no rice in the camp, so the cooks served the gumbo with corn meal mush. It was such a hit that before the trip was over, they made it again, this time without Dr. Rizzo’s supervision. For some reason, gumbo is one of those dishes that men often make.

It has some of the same appeal as game cookery or barbecuing, and it is a favorite dish at hunting camps. When men who cook only occasionally make a gumbo the event takes on a heightened significance. Some men use the phrase “build a gumbo” to describe what they are doing, and the occasion demands a good supply of iced beer. If there is an audience, so much the better. On the other hand, for women and men who cook on a daily basis, making a gumbo is more routine, if no less important. I’m convinced that part of gumbo’s virtue, aside from its deliciousness, is that the dish is very forgiving of the cook. Measurements do not have to be exact, ingredients may be changed to use what is on hand, and unless the diners are so set in their ways that they can’t appreciate change, the result will be quite good. Consider the options as set forth in a gumbo recipe that appeared in the New Orleans City Guide, which was published in 1938. It is a fairly basic recipe for a gumbo made with crabs, shrimp, and oysters.

At the end of the instructions is this advice: “Okra may be used in place of the filé, but it is cooked with the gumbo. The basic recipe is the same, but chicken, veal, and ham or a combination of veal and a hambone can be substituted for the crabs and shrimp. After Thanksgiving and Christmas the left-over turkey may be made into a gumbo with oysters.” Stanley Dry is a writer, SFA member, and gumbo lover. You can see more of his work here . Interviewer: The History of Gumbo The History of Gumbo Pin it Share In Food History 101, Food52 is hitting the books — to explore the who, what, when, where, and why of what we eat today. Today: The complex history of Louisiana’s signature dish. More Gumbo is a living example of the myriad of cultural influences within Louisiana. While its exact origins are challenging to determine, there is much speculation of the history behind the dish — a dish that could be considered the iconic Louisiana delicacy. The state was originally colonized by French and Spanish settlers, and gumbo may have been a direct descendent of the French seafood soup bouillabaisse.

The presence of roux, or flour-based thickener, is also distinctly French — although gumbo roux is much darker than the French variety, having been prepared with flour that is browned in oil or fat of some kind. Spanish settlers contributed sofrito, the combination of onion, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes cooked in olive oil. In Cajun and Creole cooking, an iteration of this — celery, bell peppers, and onions — is known as “the Trinity,” and with the addition of garlic it becomes “The Holy Trinity.” The name “gumbo” itself is derived from the West African word for “okra”, which is an ingredient found in many versions of the dish. Native American Choctaws added filé (ground and dried sassafrass leaves) to the mix, which is frequently used in gumbos instead of or in addition to okra. More Determining the exact origin of gumbo is nearly impossible, as so many cultural influences are at play in Louisiana. It is widely agreed, however, that the dish originated in Louisiana in the early 18th century, and, according to Cajun history, the first recorded mentions of the dish are from the 19th century.

Recipes include whatever seafood, meats, and vegetables were plentiful during the season. The Southern Foodways Alliance recognizes a number of gumbo recipes in The Picayune’s Creole Cookbook, published in New Orleans in 1901: “Among the principal ingredients are chicken, ham, oysters, turkey, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit, beef, veal, crabs, soft-shell crabs, shrimp, greens, and cabbage. Some of the gumbos are made with okra, others with filé.” Gumbo History, Whats Cooking America History of Gumbo By Mark Huntsman Of all the dishes in the repertoire of Louisiana cooking, gumbo is undoubtedly the most famous. One of the oldest dishes in Louisiana and a source of culinary pride as far back as there are written records. In modern times it has become as much of a cultural symbol of Louisiana as jazz or the bayou. Even more so than jambalaya or red beans and rice, it is ubiquitous in restaurants, at special events, and in homes of all classes throughout Louisiana. Generally speaking, a gumbo is a thick, dark soup containing a mixture of rice, vegetables, and meat or seafood.

Yet when it comes to ingredients, the one constant in gumbo is variety. Stanley Dry lists just two hard and fast rules: a gumbo must always contain rice, and it must always be thickened with something. Most gumbos are, in fact, double-thickened – first with a dark, oil-based roux (although Gumbo Z’Herbes is sometimes roux-less, as are some 19th century recipes), and then using either okra or file powder, but never both (to connoisseurs, this as uncouth a practice as blending a Bordeaux with a Riesling). Otherwise, anything might be thrown into the pot; one can even find written references to gumbo made with owl and muskrat. However, despite this unlimited potential, the vast majority of gumbos fall into one of three categories: Seafood Gumbo: Containing some combination of oysters, shrimp, crawfish, and/or crabs, and more often made with okra than file. Poultry and Sausage Gumbo: Which uses either chicken or turkey in combination with pieces of andouille or other smoked sausage, and more often made with file than okra.

And the increasingly rare Gumbo Z’Herbes: A meatless soup created for Lent that incorporates a wide variety of greens. The greens symbolize different things to different families. Most often the number of greens a person uses represents the number of new friends he or she is supposed to make that year, but said number is different according to different authors: some list a specific number like 7 or 9, while Fitzmorris insists on an even number of greens and Folse on an odd. Leon Soniat best explains the reality of the situation: “When we got to the vegetable stands, where we bought the ingredients for the GUMBO Z’HERBES, there would be vegetable men or hawkers and their cries of ‘Get your greens, lady, get your twelve greens, get your fifteen greens, get your seven greens ‘– the numbers changed as we passed by each of the different stands.” Because gumbo has been a staple in Louisiana kitchens long before written records of the dish existed, there are many myths surrounding its origins. No one is even certain whether the dish is Cajun or Creole in origin – the oldest mention to date is when French explorer C.C.

Robin ate it at a soiree on the Acadian coast in 1803. Yet there are records of New Orleans creoles enjoying it during roughly the same time period. It is not uncommon to read that gumbo evolved from French fish soups such as bouillabaisse. This seems highly unlikely for a number of reasons, particularly because – while Louisiana has its own version of bouillabaisse that is similar to the French version – the only ingredients in common between your standard bouillabaisse and your standard gumbo are water and salt. Contrary to popular belief, the seafood gumbos that people erroneously assume to be the descendants of European fish soups were not the original style of gumbo, as the Cajun diet contained very little seafood before the 20th century.

The oldest records I have found that describe the contents of gumbo are from Pavie in The Borderlands: The Journey Of Theodore Pavie to Louisiana and Texas in 1829-1830, Including Portions of his Souvenirs Atlantiques, by Betje Black Klier,where he mentions consuming: “…lots of squirrel gumbo, a delicious stew made with rice and Chateaubriand’s sassafras…” Despite these longstanding myths, as early as 1885 there were writers who recognized gumbo as the culinary legacy of the African/American community. Although the French contributed the concept of the roux and the Choctaw invented file powder, the modern soup is overwhelmingly West African in character. Not only does it resemble many of the okra-based soups found in contemporary Senegal, the name of the soup its self is derived from the Bantu words for the okra contained within (guingombo, tchingombo, or kingombo. A legacy of the colonial era, the modern French word for okra is quite simply “gombo”). Additionally, Jessica B. Harris has found Afro-Caribbean soups with similar compositions and names to their Louisiana counterpart.

The recipe she gives in Iron Pots, Wooden Spoons (45) for a Giambo from Curacao reads like a modern Louisiana gumbo: onion, celery, a ham hock, a bay leaf, etc. While gumbo may be eaten at any time and for any reason, it may just as easily be featured as part of a special celebration. For example, John Folse lists gumbo among the ingredients of the traditional Louisiana reveillon spread. While the New Orleans Mardi Gras focuses on dishes such as Grillades and King Cake, gumbo is crucial to the Cajun version of the holiday. Mark Huntsman grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and has lived in France and South Korea. He received Bachelor of Arts degrees in French and linguistics from the University of Wisconsin in 2002, and a Master of Arts degree in French from Louisiana State University in 2007. A former national merit scholar, he is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including most recently a Board of Regents fellowship from Louisiana State University. He is also an avid traveler who has visited 42 countries and 45 American states. He also enjoys cooking and sports journalism.

SOURCES: Bienvenu, Marcelle, Carl Brasseaux, and Ryan Brasseaux. Stir the Pot: The History of Cajun Cuisine. New York: Hippocrene Books, 2005. Christian Women’s Exchange. The Creole Cookery Book. New Orleans, 1885. Dry, Stanley. “When It Comes to Gumbo, Almost Anything Goes.” Louisiana Cookin’ Jan-Feb 1998: 6+ Feibleman, Peter S. American Cooking: Creole and Acadian. New York: Time-Life Books, 1971. Fitzmorris, Tom. “Great Gumbos.” New Orleans Magazine Nov 2001: 40-43 Folse, John. The Enyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine. Gonzales (LA): Chef John Folse & Company, 2004. Harris, Jessica B. Iron Pots & Wooden Spoons: Africa’s gifts to New World cooking. New York, Simon & Schuster, 1989. Klier, Betje Black.

Pavie in The Borderlands: The Journey Of Theodore Pavie to Louisiana and Texas in 1829-1830, Including Portions of his Souvenirs Atlantiques, Louisiana State University Press, 2000. Robin, C.C. Voyage to Louisiana 1803-1805. Trans. Stuart O. Landry. New Orleans: Pelican Publishing, 1966. Soniat, Leon E. La Bouche Creole. Gretna (LA): Pelican, 1981. Stradley, Linda. “Seafood Gumbo New Orleans Style” 27 Dec 2007. Wilson, Justin. Justin Wilson’s Homegrown Louisiana Cookin’. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990. Gumbo, About Gumbo, What is Gumbo? Variations Multiple Gumbo is a stew or soup originating in Louisiana which is popular across the Gulf Coast of the United States and into the U.S. South . It consists primarily of a strong stock , meat and/or shellfish, a thickener, and the vegetable " holy trinity " of celery , bell peppers , and onion .

The soup is traditionally served over rice . A traditional lenten variety called gumbo z'herbes (from the French gumbo aux herbes), essentially a gumbo of smothered greens thickened with roux , also exists. Introduction Having originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, created by the French, but enhanced by additions from other cultures, gumbo is the result of the melting of cultures in Louisianan history. For example, the dish itself is based on the French soup bouillabaisse , along with the "Holy Trinity," which is of Spanish origin and the use of filï¿½ powder (ground sassafras leaves) which is Native American. But the dish got its name from the French interpretation of the West African vegetable okra. Currently, the dish is very common in Louisiana , Southeast Texas , southern Mississippi and Alabama , and the Lowcountry around Charleston, South Carolina , near Brunswick, Georgia and among native Louisianians throughout the country. It is eaten year-round, but is usually prepared during the colder months. A typical gumbo contains one or more kinds of poultry , shellfish , and smoked pork . Poultry used is typically chicken, duck, or quail.

Local shellfish such as the freshwater crawfish and crab and shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico are frequently used. Tasso and andouille provide a smoky flavor to the dish. Gumbos can be broadly divided between the use of okra as a thickener, and recipes using filï¿½ powder in that role. Roux may be added to either. Another division in types of gumbo is between Creole and Cajun styles. Creole gumbos generally use a lighter (but still medium-brown) roux and include tomatoes, while Cajun gumbos are made with a darker roux and never contain tomatoes. Tomatoes are used in Creole gumbo due to the influence of Italian immigrants that flocked to the city. Etymology According to some sources, the word gumbo comes from the Bantu ( Angolan ) word (ki)ngombo, meaning okra . The word came into Caribbean Spanish as guingambï¿½ or "qimbombï¿½." Other sources claim the word gumbo comes from the Choctaw word kombo, meaning sassafras . History Gumbo has been called the greatest contribution of Louisiana kitchens to American cuisine .

The dish has its origins in the meeting of cultures that occurred in Louisiana during the 18th century. French cooking techniques provided the beginning with bouillabaisse . The native Choctaw 's filï¿½ powder and local seafood were a major addition to the local cuisine. West African slaves' imported okra found its way into the Louisiana kitchens, and provided gumbo with its name. Bell peppers, tomatoes and cooked onions were brought to the table by Spanish colonists. The first written references to gumbo appear in the early 1800s. In 1885, the division between filï¿½ and okra-based gumbos was documented in La Cuisine Creole. The cookbook contained many gumbo recipes, some made with filï¿½ and some with okra, but none with roux. Okra, filï¿½ powder, and roux Roux-less gumbo with okra. Gumbos can be broadly divided into three categories: those thickened with okra, those thickened with filï¿½ powder , and those thickened exclusively with roux.

Modern recipes of both okra and filï¿½ categories generally call for a roux that provides additional thickening and flavoring. Okra and filï¿½ powder are, at least historically, not used together in the same dish. You may, however, see a lighter roux combined with roped (sautï¿½ed plain to remove the 'stringy' effect) okra and topped with filï¿½ after cooking for the sweet flavor. Filï¿½ powder , ground dried sassafras leaves, was in wide use by the native Choctaws when European colonists arrived. In modern recipes, filï¿½ gumbos use roux as their primary thickener, with the actual filï¿½ powder added as preferred at the table by the eater. A dark roux as used in a Cajun gumbo is cooked until extremely dark. Butter will burn if used to make this type of roux, so lard or oil are the fats of choice. If the roux is to be used with okra, a lighter color may be desired, as the flavor of a dark roux is quite overpowering.

Most Creole gumbos do not use as dark a roux as the Cajuns, but a medium reddish-brown type roux; the word roux is a french word that means "russet-red." The "holy trinity" of onion, celery, and bell pepper will often be cooked in the hot roux itself before the stock is added. The traditional practice of using okra in the summer (in season) and filï¿½ in the winter has played a role in defining the kinds of gumbo usually associated with each. These associations are not hard and fast rules, but more of a general guide. For example a purely seafood gumbo is usually not thickened with filï¿½, while one that is purely meat and game would usually not have okra. This reflects traditional practices of fishing and crabbing in warmer weather and hunting and butchering in cooler weather. Typical combinations The following are some common combinations of ingredients that are included in gumbo: Seafood gumbo, with crab, shrimp, crawfish, and/or oysters.

Often supplemented with tasso or andouille Filï¿½ Gumbo (Often seafood or Chicken & Sausage) Chicken and sausage gumbo Rabbit Gumbo Greens (with or without seafood and/or meat; see Gumbo Z'Herbes below) While the sausage used is traditionally andouille, other smoked pork sausages can be substituted. The sausage can be removed and replaced with fresh at the end of the cooking period, otherwise it tends to have lost much flavour to the liquid. Rice The rice is nearly always plain white rice or parboiled rice , steamed or boiled with only salt. The rice used with gumbo is a long-grained rice that sticks well to itself and does not disperse in the gumbo. The ratio of soup to rice is also a point of contention. Some prefer "damp rice" and some only add a minimal amount of rice to a bowl of broth. This is strictly personal taste. Traditional side dishes include potato salad, fresh New Orleans style french bread, crackers, or baked sweet potatoes. Many add potato salad to their gumbo and eat it with or without rice. This comes from influence of German immigrants in the 19th century.

Gumbo z'herbes Gumbo z'herbes, literally "greens gumbo," is a unique variation of the dish usually associated with the Lenten season and particularly Holy Thursday or Good Friday . It was originally spelled in standard French, "gumbo aux herbes." It consists of the standard roux and stock plus a combination of several greens, such as collard , mustard , turnip , cabbage , spinach , lettuce , chard , parsley , scallions , etc. In different family traditions, the dish, usually served only at the Holy Thursday or Good Friday evening meal, had to have a set number of different greens, usually seven or nine, and it would be referred to simply as, for example, "nine kinds of greens" gumbo. Cooks are not above sneaking out to their flower gardens to snip off a few nasturtium or other edible make the required number. Presumably this variation was devised in traditionally Roman Catholic New Orleans in keeping with the Lenten spirit of austerity, and may have originally consisted of greens only.

But the penchant of the region's cuisine for embellishment led inevitably to the addition of local seafood (shrimp, oysters, crabmeat, and sometimes fish) ï¿½ which were at least permitted under the Catholic Church's abstinence guideline ï¿½ and eventually seasoning meats (ham, sausage, bacon, even beef)--which were not. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Where Did Gumbo Really Come From? Blog → Experience Different Cuisines → Where Did Gumbo Really Come From? Where Did Gumbo Really Come From? New Orleans, Louisiana is home to so much flashy and flavorful culture and food. The mix of European, Native American and West African flavors and customs make it a city unlike any other . Even though New Orleans is mainly known for their Mardi Gras celebration, they also know their way around a pot of Gumbo or Jambalaya . Let’s talk about gumbo. The basics of this dish as we know it today are a roux, okra or file powder, some sort of protein and the vegetable trinity of celery, bell peppers and onions, but this is just the beginning.

Gumbo today can be made with an assortment of ingredients including almost any type of protein such as ham, chicken, bacon, oysters, crab or beef just to name a few. Some variations of the dish do not include okra when it is not available, or opt to use file powder . A slightly different version of gumbo, also made with okra, comes from West India. This dish is referenced in the 1841 edition of Webster’s dictionary as ”A dish of food made of young capsules of okra, with salt and pepper, stewed and served with melted butter.” Did Gumbo Evolve from Bouillabaisse? Many people believe that Gumbo is a French dish that was created by the Louisiana Creole people during the 18th century and evolved from bouillabaisse, but that is far from where Gumbo got its start. First, let’s talk about the differences between gumbo and bouillabaisse so you can shake this vicious food rumor and be prepared for the true history. Bouillabaisse is a fish stew that originated in the port city of Marseille. It was made by fisherman who decided to cook the fish that they were unable to sell.

They typically used at least 3 types of fish in their stew including red rascasse, sea robin and European conger. It usually also includes different types of shellfish and seafood such as sea urchins, mussels, spider crab and octopus. Vegetables such as leeks, onions, tomatoes and celery are also added to the stew. This dish may seem like a typical fish soup or stew, but the ways that it is prepared and served are actually quite interesting. When making the stew, fish are placed in the pot one at a time and then brought to a boil, and then that fish is removed and the next fish is placed in the pot. When it is time to eat this dish, the broth is served first in a soup bowl with bread and rouille, a condiment made from olive oil, bread crumbs, garlic , saffron and chili peppers . After this, the fish is served separately on a platter. Gumbo on the other hand can be traced to West Africa, where in several languages the word for okra is ki ngumbo. This okra is used as a thickener in original versions of gumbo. To make gumbo a base is prepared, vegetables are cooked and then meat is added.

Shellfish and seasonings are added toward the end of the cooking process. This dish is then served over rice. Now that you know the differences between the two dishes, let’s explore the humble origins of gumbo. History The true story of gumbo starts in 1719 when enslaved Africans were brought to the French colony in Louisiana. Within two years, more than half of the population was made up of African slaves who brought their mighty fine cooking skills with them. Even before written references to gumbo were taken, these Africans knew how to cook gumbo and would prepare it in kitchens for their owners. The dish today still spans all class barriers and ethnicities, just like it did when it was first brought to America. That might be why it is the official dish of Louisiana. The first written reference to the dish gumbo was in 1764 when a 50-year old slave was interrogated because she was suspected of being in cahoots with slaves who had stolen clothes and a pig. She was asked if she had given another slave un gombeau and she admitted that she did.

About two years later, a French journalist made a reference to gumbo saying that an American plant leaf was ground and used to thicken the dish. File powder, or ground Sassafras, was used to make gumbo because it was more readily available than okra (which was prevalent in Africa). In the late 1800s, gumbo was cited in many cook books. But gumbo didn’t become a truly popular dish throughout the country until the 1970s when it was added to the United States Senate cafeteria menu in honor of Louisiana Senator Allen Ellender. Before the late 1880s, gumbo was made with any number of thickeners depending on the house and roots of the chef making the dish. Some used the African vegetable okra, some file powder and others, a roux (a French base made from flour and fat). In the 1950s, the actual term roux was first used to describe the base of flour and fat used to make some gumbo dishes. This sparked a culinary revolution in New Orleans and instant roux packages were sold so that anyone could successfully make gumbo, spaghetti or gravy.

From then on, roux became widespread kitchen knowledge and has been the base for gumbo ever since. Gumbo is truly a culinary representation of New Orleans - spicy, saucy, flavorful and diverse. The dish is eaten by all classes, and though the ingredients may vary by household, the history and wonderment is always present. Shrimp Gumbo - The Amerikong Recipe Box The Amerikong Recipe Box Yield About 12 bowls This is a recipe that is very rich in shrimp flavor (so if you aren't a fan of shrimp, this probably won't be for you :>). I cobbled it together by pinching my favorite bits from a handful of other recipes, so I can't take complete credit, but I like to think of it as uniquely mine.

Ingredients for the Shrimp Stock 8 cups of water 3 lbs fresh (alive and still swimming!) shrimp 1 medium onion, quartered 1 green bell pepper, quartered Ingredients for the Dish The above shrimp stock (and the shrimp meat that was separated from it) 8 cups of chicken broth (this is cheating - make your own chicken broth if you can) 1 lb andouille sausage , sliced along the bias 2 medium onions, chopped 2 green bell peppers, chopped 4 ribs celery, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 scallions, chopped (for garnish) 2 bay leaves Louisiana long-grain rice (perhaps a quarter-cup per planned serving of gumbo) To Prepare the Shrimp Stock In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and drop in the shrimp. As soon as the shrimp turn bright red / pink (perhaps after only about a minute), remove the pot from the heat and extract the shrimp. Make sure to keep the water! Once the shrimp have cooled to a comfortable level, peel and devein them. Throw out the veins (they tend to be bitter), but keep the shrimp shells, heads, and meat.

Cover the meat with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Toss the shrimp shells and heads back into the pot of water, then add the onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Bring the water back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook, covered, for about an hour. Strain out all the solids and retain the broth. To Prepare the Dish Sauté the garlic, onions, celery, and green bell peppers in olive oil until they become translucent Sauté the andouille sausage slices, using their own oil, until brown Combine the shrimp stock and chicken broth in a large pot. Take 2-4 cups of the stock mixture, place in a small pot, and bring to a boil. While rapidly stirring, add the roux until completely dissolved. Pour this back into the large pot. Add the garlic, onions, celery, green bell peppers, sausage, bay leaves, and creole blend to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour. About 30 minutes before serving, steam the rice. About five minutes before serving, add the already-cooked shrimp meat to the pot and allow it to thoroughly reheat.

To Serve Ladle the gumbo over rice and garnish with scallions. Nice accompaniments include fresh French bread, corn bread, potato salad, and/or baked sweet potatoes. Registrations and Donations Gumbo From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gumbo is a dish that originated in southern Louisiana from the Louisiana Creole people during the 18th century. It typically consists primarily of a strongly flavored stock, okra, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and seasoning vegetables, which can include celery, bell peppers and onions. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used: the African vegetable okra, the Choctaw spice filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves), or roux, the French base made of flour and fat. The dish likely derived its name from either the Bantu word for okra (ki ngombo) or the Choctaw word for filé (kombo). Several different varieties exist. In New Orleans, what is known as Creole gumbo generally ranges from house to house though still retaining its African and Native origins. The Creoles of Cane River make a gumbo focused much more on filé.

After the base is prepared, vegetables are cooked down, and then meat is added. The dish simmers, with shellfish and some spices added near the end. Gumbo is traditionally served over rice. The dish combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including West African, French, Spanish, German, and Choctaw. Gumbo may have been based on traditional West African or native dishes, or may be a derivative of the French dish bouillabaisse. It was first described in 1802, and was listed in various cookbooks in the latter half of the 19th century. The dish gained more widespread popularity in the 1970s, after the United States Senate cafeteria added it to the menu in honor of Louisiana Senator Allen Ellender. The popularity of Louisiana-born chefs such as Justin Wilson in the 1970s and 1980s spurred further interest in gumbo. The dish is the official cuisine of the state of Louisiana. We are looking for some good people to help out at this great event. Sign-Up Now! Join Us

Question: The dish gumbo originated in which US state?
Answer: Louisiana